Tune each string down half a step: E♭ · A♭ · D♭ · G♭ · B♭ · E♭, from thickest to thinnest. These fret positions sound different in standard tuning.
About this recording
Van Halen · 1978 · Original album studio recording
Playing level: expert · Theory level: beginner
Follow the tapped chord notes one group at a time. The harmony changes, so one fixed minor scale will not explain the whole ending.
The scales at a glance
Compare the notes
Learn these shapes, then see how they help explain each solo below. Some are extra ideas for your own practice.
| Scale | Notes | Intervals | Use in this study |
|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ Major | E♭ · F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 | Listening guide |
| E♭ Harmonic Minor | E♭ · F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D | 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · 7 | Listening guide |
| E♭ Natural Minor | E♭ · F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭ | 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · ♭7 | Practice idea |
Solo breakdown
Main solo
Guitar: Eddie Van Halen
Where is this solo?
The later two-handed tapping section through the ending. The opening picked phrases are not the selected passage.
E♭ Major
Listening guide
E♭ major is the sounding reference for the opening tapped chord context. Desi Serna demonstrates it a half step higher in standard tuning.
E♭ · F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D
◎ Outlined dots = E♭, the home note.
E-flat standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 12–15 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 12: E♭, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 14: F, interval 2
- String 2, fret 12: B♭, interval 5
- String 2, fret 14: C, interval 6
- String 3, fret 13: G, interval 3
- String 3, fret 14: A♭, interval 4
- String 4, fret 13: D, interval 7
- String 4, fret 14: E♭, interval 1, root
- String 5, fret 12: A♭, interval 4
- String 5, fret 14: B♭, interval 5
- String 6, fret 12: E♭, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 14: F, interval 2
More about these scales
E♭ Major Listening guide
E♭ major is the sounding reference for the opening tapped chord context. Desi Serna demonstrates it a half step higher in standard tuning.
E♭ · F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D
E♭ Harmonic Minor Listening guide
E♭ harmonic minor is a comparison for the later B♭-major-to-E♭-minor sound. Treat it as local harmony, not a label for the entire tapping section.
E♭ · F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D
E♭ Natural Minor Practice idea
Compare E♭ natural minor with the raised seventh in harmonic minor. This is an ear exercise for the later minor colour.
E♭ · F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Listen for the landing note
Listening idea An arpeggio is a chord played one note at a time. The tapped section follows changing chords and also uses borrowed and chromatic notes. The source teaches in standard tuning; this map lowers those note names by a half step to match E-flat tuning.
C Minor arpeggio
C · E♭ · G · 1 · ♭3 · 5
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of C minor as an original chord-tone exercise.
A♭ Major arpeggio
A♭ · C · E♭ · 1 · 3 · 5
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of Ab major as an original chord-tone exercise.
B♭ Dominant seventh arpeggio
B♭ · D · F · A♭ · 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of Bb dominant7 as an original chord-tone exercise.
E♭ Major arpeggio
E♭ · G · B♭ · 1 · 3 · 5
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of Eb major as an original chord-tone exercise.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- tapping: Tapping sounds a note by tapping a fret with a finger from your picking hand. Start slowly on one string and keep unused strings quiet. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Try this slowly
Open “How the chords shape the solo” and find the C minor chord notes. Sound its three notes separately on nearby strings. Keep the sound even before trying a picking-hand tap for a higher note.
Check: You can keep a steady pulse and hear the final note clearly.
A simple practice plan
Put the study into practice
- Listen to the chosen solo and identify its beginning and ending.
- Find the root notes: the notes the scale is named after. Say their names, then play them.
- Add one new note, or aim for a note from the chord. Make a short phrase of your own.
- Listen to the solo again. Can you hear where the phrase comes to rest?
Updated 2026-11-10
This analysis may contain errors or inaccuracies.